4.1 magnitude aftershock shakes Los Angeles area

A magnitude-4.1 earthquake struck near Rowland Heights Saturday afternoon, one of more than a hundred aftershocks to a powerful temblor that shook Southern California Friday night.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the Saturday quake at 2:32 p.m., the largest aftershock of Friday’s magnitude-5.1 earthquake.

The heavy activity of aftershocks is typical, according to seismologists.

“We have a long ways to go. It will be months and months before we’re down to a rate of one a month in that area, which is where it was before the main shock,” USGS seismologist Lucy Jones said after Saturday’s strong aftershock.

“Look at the 4.1 a week or so ago,” she said, pointing to the quake centered in Encino. “It’s still having aftershocks.”

A magnitude-3.6 aftershock struck at 9:30 p.m. Friday, and another measured at magnitude 3.4 at 9:02 a.m. Saturday,

Jones added that the risk of a larger earthquake to follow was declining with each passing day.

“There will be aftershocks for awhile,” she said. “This is pretty typical. It’s just been quite awhile since we’ve had earthquakes of this size in the area, so people forget.”

She pointed out that until Friday, there had only been two quakes measuring above a magnitude of 5.0 in the Los Angeles area since the 1994 Northridge earthquake. In the decade prior to that devastating quake, there were several large magnitude earthquakes.

“This has been the quietest decade in some time.”

No major injuries or damages were reported from the aftershock.

Friday’s magnitude-5.1 earthquake, centered just east of La Habra, jolted much of northern Orange County, where 26 homes were red-tagged.